Al Cleinman's Blog

Health Care Reform...Who's Kidding Whom?

I have often said that I follow the "Fiddler on the Roof" philosophy of politics; "may god bless them and keep them all far away from me." It's one reason that I live in very rural America; I figure when it all ends, I can still grow my own food, heat my house with the abundant wood around me, and sustain my life.  Is it coming to that?

It is becoming clear to this observer, as I watch what's going on in Washington relative to health care "reform," the so-called "financial bailout" and other activities, that we have a corrupt and broken system. 

While I'm empathetic towards the man personally, how is it that we can have a 92 year old senator who can't perform his duties; but continues to hold his seat so he can throw his weight around from his sickbed?  How is it that we can have animals like Bernie Madoff get away with total corruption in spite of whistle blowers?  How is it that we can have a single senator from a single state manage to get a line item in a bill that has the federal government picking up his state's tab for medicaid increases...just to get his vote.  How is it that simple fixes are thrown out (such as allowing parents to cover their children...read low risk coverage...on their existing policies until age 30) in exchange for expensive wholesale tinkering?

While I don't profess to know the answers, I do think we need some folks in Washington who know what it means to make a payroll; to balance a budget; to make tough choices.  Here are a few reform thoughts:

a) Tie Congress and the Executive Branch' compensation to debt reduction.  Watch what happens when they are paid, say $28,000 a year, unless our national debt is reduced.  As Jack Stack (The Great Game of Business) would say,  focus on the "Critical Number."

b) Eliminate Lobbying in Washington.  Make it OK to lobby in the home state of the politician; to the public. Politicians are no longer elected by the public; but by special interest groups. 

c) Charge a 100% tax on all political contributions.  That way, the people paying for the election of the politician (read special interest groups) are at least contributing to bail out the messes that will be made in the aftermath of the election.

d) Provide benefits to congress equal to that of the average Wal-Mart employee.  Let them walk in their shoes.

We have a $12 trillion national debt.  If my math is correct, that's $225 billion per congressman and about $40k per citizen.  What right do these guys and gals have to rack up that kind of debt?  I, for one, am willing to take my lumps now to pay off my share of that debt within the next decade.  But NOT if the system isn't fixed and the largess continues. 

Our country is financially and systemically bankrupt.  Is it time to go back to the sixties and become individual activists?

 

One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure

Having just completed a major building project, one during which I cringed at the waste involved, this story passed to me by a reader really resonated.  There's an important message here on many fronts...how much do we waste at the office?  At home? 

A great message.  Enjoy!

Social Engineering with Trash

The Global Economy - Simplified

My friend, former partner, and mentor Tom Schinkel is one smart guy (See June 8, 2009 post).  Tom was my partner and co-founder of Co-Optics of America, the first national buying group, back in 1979.  It was his insight into the forces at work within the optical industry that became the foundation of our business plan; a model which today represents billions of dollars of optical trade world-wide. 

The former Executive Director of the Dutch Wholesaler's Association and a Retail Distribution Expert, Tom has spent the past thirty-five years helping CEOs and senior managers define and implement expansion strategies on an international scale.  Today, Tom is likely the world's leading expert on the office products industry.

Tom has a knack for making the complex simple.  He's a knowledgeable observer of the world of business and has an expert's understanding of the forces at work within the global economy. 

The attached white paper will provide you with some insight into some of the driving forces behind our current economic challenges.  Enjoy!

Download Driving the Economy through Incentives

The Slow Drift From Great to Good

A client and friend forwarded this wonderful article to me written by Doug Fleener.  I'm sharing it with you with permission of the author.  I wish I'd written it.  Enjoy!

 ___________________________

I love a GREAT cup of coffee. For years I began every day by grinding freshly roasted beans to make a rich and full-bodied cup of morning goodness.  There isn't much better than that first cup of the day. About a year ago I begin to tire of having to grind the beans in the morning, so I started to grind them before I went to bed at night.  Everything I've read says the coffee begins to drop in quality soon after grinding the beans but I figured it was a small price to pay for convenience. After a few months I decided that grinding the beans at night was becoming a grind.  I decided to buy my coffee already ground.   I did notice the difference in my morning coffee between my freshly ground beans and the already ground coffee I bought at Peet's or Starbucks but I figured it was a small price to pay for convenience. Now that I was already buying pre-ground coffee I figured that I might from time to time skip the extra trip to the coffee store and buy coffee at the grocery store.  Even though there have been some great strides in the improvements in packaging technology, there is still a noticeable difference in ground coffee bought at a Peet's or Starbucks store and the same brands bought at the grocery store.  But sometimes when I was in hurry I just grabbed some coffee at the grocery store.  I figured it was a small price to pay for convenience. One morning as I drank my "GREAT" cup of coffee I was reading an article in Cook's Illustrated about how to properly brew coffee.  As I read the article I thought to myself over and over, "I used to do that." I realized that my GREAT cup of coffee wasn't really that great any more.  Over time I had slowly drifted away from the small but simple steps required to make a great cup of coffee.  Because each change I made only reduced the quality by a small amount I didn't really notice how much less "great" my morning coffee had become.   Of course it was all in the name of convenience. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. The same thing can happen in our stores and in the experience we deliver.  One or two of the little things you would once did to make your store a GREAT place to shop fall by the wayside.  It might be to save time, payroll, or inconvenience.  And it's such a small thing it won't make a big difference. It happens often.  A store offers to carry every purchase, no matter what the size, to a customer's car.  Then over time they might only offer if the purchase is big and bulky. But now they only carry purchases to the customer's car when the customer asks. Or maybe it's the practice of offering customers something to drink. The store goes from offering all customers a drink, to those customers they're working with on a sale, to only giving a beverage to the long-time customer who still asks for one. Other areas that sometimes get lost in the name of convenience are gift wrapping, follow-up phone calls, thank you cards, and getting customer contact information. The point is that just like the decline in quality of my morning coffee, these small changes slowly takes the experience away from what used to make it special.  The cost of saving time, money, or just making things a little more convenient for us is a lot higher than we think. Right after reading that article I went back to doing what it takes to brew a GREAT cup of coffee.  The difference is amazing.  Over the last year my morning coffee was good, but good isn't great.  Sometimes good is okay, but we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that good is GREAT. So let me ask you as you enjoy your morning coffee, is there anything in your business you've let slip to good even though it's GREAT that is the key to your success?   If there is, what steps will you take today to turn it around? ______________________ You can enjoy Doug's blog about retail experiences at www.retailcontrarian.com

Leaders are Never Done!

A member resigned the other day.  It happens.  Sometimes it’s for a good reason; more often it adds up, in my opinion, to a dose of “penny wise, pound foolish.”  Perhaps that sounds arrogant from someone who develops and sells the very service of which I’m speaking.   It’s not my intention to send that message…indeed, I’m humbled that so many professionals seek out our advice and participate in Cleinman Performance Network.  I am also confident that we focus a significant amount of energy and resources on seeking out the means and methods by which to deliver value to our members, just as you do for your patients.  After all, leading the charge is my solemn duty as the CEO of my firm.

 

In this particular case, I was most troubled by the stated reason that came my way; “I’ve accomplished all that I want to accomplish,” this member said. 

 

Think about those words for a moment. 

 

Imagine an employee coming to you and voicing these words.   Imagine your child saying this to you.  Or your spouse?   How might you react? 

 

In my opinion, and I mean no disrespect to this individual, what concerns me is that there are folks out there who think that the job of a leader can be “over.”   That, magically, one can continue down the path of progress without investing in oneself.

 

Someone once said “the speed of the leader is the speed of the pack.”   I believe in that philosophy. That’s why I invest a substantial amount of time and money each year on my personal development (and each member of my team does the same).   I can’t think of a better investment.  For me, investing in my personal development and that of my team has become second nature.  Setting personal and business goals is a way of life.  I will never accomplish all that I want.  I can’t imagine life having done that.  What would I have to live for?

 

Here’s another factoid that you may find interesting:  Readers make more money - a lot more! (Even in tough economic times.)  Several studies reveal business people who read at least seven business books a year earn over 2.3 times more than those who read only one book per year.   Interesting!

 

At the end of the day, perhaps this all boils down to “curiosity?”   I was graced with burning curiosity.  I look to hire people who have this same basic attribute.  And it’s curiosity about how we can do a better job that drives our entire culture.  Certainly, our current economic environment screams for this.

 

My challenge to you is to ask yourself some hard questions and take the time to write down your answers:   Am I curious enough?  Is my team curious enough?  What’s around the bend?  How might I improve?  Where are we going?  How will I get there?  What resources will I need?  What opportunities am I leaving on the table?  Where am I spinning my wheels?  What tasks might I eliminate?  What questions do I need to ask myself?

 

As you’ll soon conclude, the job of a leader is never “done.”   And that makes for both an exciting life and job security.

 

Honing a Message for Improved Eye Health

It's a travesty that consumers spend 50% more on shoes than they do on their eyes.  Shoes are...well, shoes...important but not necessary...at least not always.  But our eyes and vision system affects all that we do.  In addition to the obvious, eyecare impacts such diverse areas of our lives as vehicular accidents; sports performance; behavior; confidence and self-worth; productivity in the workplace, learning and safety.  And yet, most americans take their eyesite for granted.  Well, the time has come for a change.

I was honored to be invited to participate in the Eye Health Summit, a two-day meeting of about 120 industry leaders held in Chicago over the past two days.  The summit's purpose is to identify the elements necessary for a public health message about the importance of eyecare.  Sponsored by the Vision Council, the event has brought together a diverse group of members of the eyecare industry to begin the process of forging a message and methodology to lead our society to improved eye health. 

Ours is a big challenge and an even bigger opportunity.  Vision problems are the second most prevalent health problem in America, affecting more than 120 million of our citizens.  A unified public health message would mean earlier diagnosis of disease and improved quality of life for many.  The Eye Health Coalition has a daunting task.  It's charge is to bring together such diverse groups as optometry and ophthalmology; insurance firms and manufacturers; associations, schools and government to put forth a unified message about the importance of eye health checkups.  

When the time comes for you to participate in this process, which may take several years to bring to fruition, it is my hope that you'll get behind this important message.  

For additional information about the Eye Health Coalition, visit their website at:

 The Eye Health Summit

10 Things You Don't Tell Your Patients

My fellow bloggers at the Optical Vision Site first broke this story, but it bears passing on.  Written by Smart Money Magazine, here's an interesting consumer's perspective on eyecare.

10 Things Eye Doctors Won't Tell You

Now, before you blame Smart Money forproducing an inaccurate article about our business, take a look in the mirror.  Are you doing all you can to educate your patients about all the wonderful things that optometrists do?  Is the industry doing a stellar job with communicating itsvalue proposition?  What messages do we send with "BOGO" and "50% Discounts?"

Our industry, at every level, is to blame for whatever perceptions consumers,and authors, have.  What do we need to do to correct these perceptions?

Kiss "Fee-for-Service" Goodbye

A Massachusetts state commission recently focused attention on health care cost containment and has issued a comprehensive report (see below).  Their recommendation, which is coming from other fronts around the land: do away with paying docs and hospitals for procedures and pay with global payments to take care of a specific population (sounds like capitation to me).

The report summarizes that the existing "fee-for-service" system incentivizes docs to provide testing and treatment; perhaps more than is really necessary.  (Well...duh...how would you ever make a living under managed care otherwise).  Incidently, Massachusetts has led the way with attempting to reform healthcare; virtually everyone in the state is now covered by some form of insurance.

Wayne Gretzky, the famous hockey player, when asked why he was so successful, always replied "because I go where the puck's going to be, not where it is."

Is "fee-for-service" doomed?  What if it were?  How would you be impacted?  So...where's the puck going?

Here's a copy of the report for your dining pleasure.

Download Mass Panel - End Fee for Service - Report

The Sixth Sense...Operating with Total Transparency

I recently wrote about doctor rating sites and their potential impact on your practice and our industry (see post of June 25).  Well, the following amazing presentation by MIT professor Patti Maes takes the potential for doctor rating to an entirely new level.  Imagine a patient having immediate access to ratings on both you and your entire staff while you're talking to them.  Imagine the patient's ability to be able to identify the COST of everything that you present to them.  Imagine the patient's ability to comparison shop any product while they're in your practice...just by looking at the product. 

We are fast entering a world where information and the tools necessary for decision-making are, literally, at our fingertips...even wired directly to our brain. Way beyond Google, what is coming is that the entire universe of knowledge will be available to all.  There will be no secrets...everyone can know everything.   

Think it impossible?  Take a look at this presentation about the future of information and your access to it.  When you're finished, please enter a comment about how you see this technology impacting our world. 

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

A Case For Managing Doctor Rating Sites and the Patient Experience

Angie's List, RateMDs.com, Aetna Navigator and scores of other sites now rate doctors or, as is the case of Aetna, actually publish doctor's fee schedules.  What impact will these sites have on your practice?  Can you hope to have any control over what's said about you and your brand?

It is clear that these sites will flourish, over time.  Angies List alone has 750,000 paid subscribers.  Key to their success will be the utilization rates and the quality of the entries.  A quick search of one site revealed that most of the OD's listed had only 1 or 2 patient comments, generally positive. One practice, however, stood out with over twenty entries.  A review of these entries clearly indicated, given the words used and the style of writing, that the comments were provided by the practice itself.  They were "stacking the deck."  In my opinion, consumers can smell this kind of fraud.

There's a more effective way to ensure that these sites contain positive information about your practice while sniffing out potential problems before they end up in cyberspace (see my entry of 10/30/08). Perhaps you might go on the offensive and actually encourage your patients to participate? 

Here's an example of a tool you can use.

About Doctor Rating Websites

Our practice supports the transparency afforded by the internet and the power of various doctor-rating sites with assisting patients in making their provider choices.  Our research indicates that the sites listed below appear to have the best systems and the most activity in our area. 

 

We'd appreciate it if you would visit either of these sites and make a comment about your experience with our practice.  To the extent that we've provided you with a positive experience, we thank you for your comments. 

 

Should your experience with our practice have been less than what you expected or desired, please allow us to make things right for you immediately.

 

Thank you for your support.

 

Dr. Johnson’s Family Eyecare

www.rateyourdoc.com

www.doctorratings.com